Determination of Fruit Quality Characteristics of Some Satsuma (Citrus unshiu) Mandarin Varieties in Hadırlı and Balcalı Locations of Adana, Türkiye

In mandarins, which have high economic value, fruit quality is a determining factor in product sales, especially during the export process. Location-related factors (climate, soil characteristics, agricultural practices, etc.) affect yield and fruit quality in mandarins. This study investigated the fruit quality characteristics of Okitsu, Dobashi Beni, and Owari satsuma mandarin varieties at different times and locations in Adana. The study was conducted at Çukurova University Research and Application Farm (Sarıçam District) and Hadırlı (Seyhan District). The research material consisted of fruits from Okitsu, Dobashi Beni, and Owari Satsuma mandarin varieties, and the research method was pomological analysis. Randomly selected fruits were used in four different periods, in the first and second halves of September and October. Physical quality characteristics (fruit weight, diameter, length, peel thickness, and number of segments) and chemical quality characteristics (total soluble solids TSS, titratable acid TA, ripening index TSS/TA, and juice amount JA) were evaluated on the fruits. In general, fruits grown in Hadırlı tended to have higher fruit size parameters and TSS/TA ratio, whereas titratable acidity was generally lower than in Balcalı. These findings support the idea that the Hadırlı location is earlier ripening than the Balcalı location and that location has an effect on fruit quality in mandarin cultivation. The study concludes that knowing the characteristics of location in agricultural production and selecting varieties suitable for the location will contribute to increasing product quality and yield.